How to Fix a Rusty Porcelain Sink

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Rust stains on porcelain sinks are caused by direct contact with rusted metal, such as the metal bottom of shaving cream can, dripping faucets, standing water or water that contains a high concentration of dissolved iron. When water filters through the ground and comes into contact with soil or bedrock that contains iron, the mineral dissolves and enters the groundwater, which is used as drinking water. Dissolved iron in water chemically reacts with oxygen in the air and oxidizes. This chemical reaction pulls the dissolved iron out of the water and turns it back into a solid form, which becomes a red-brown rust stain on your porcelain sink. In addition, harmless bacteria that consumes iron and makes it rust and stain your porcelain sink might be present in the water.

Pumice Stick

1

Wet the pumice scouring stick.

2

Rub it in a back and forth motion over the rust stains on the porcelain sink. The wet pumice will dissolve to form a paste as you scrub it against the sink.

3

Rub the paste into the rusted areas with the pumice scouring stick until they are removed. Rinse all of the pumice paste out of the sink.

White Vinegar

1

Plug the sink and spray it with white vinegar.

2

Let the vinegar sit in the sink for 30 minutes to remove the rust stains.

3

Rinse out the sink to remove the white vinegar.

Stubborn Rust Stains

1

Put on rubber gloves. Mix 2 tablespoons borax with 2 cups warm water in a bowl.

2

Apply the borax solution to the rusted areas of the sink with a clean cloth.

3

Let the borax solution sit for 12 hours in the sink. Rinse out the sink with cold water to remove any residue left by the borax solution.

Things You Will Need

Pumice scouring stick

White vinegar

Spray bottle

Rubber gloves

Borax

Bowl

Cloth

Tips

If you find that you cannot remove the rust stain, clean it with a mixture 1/8 cup oxalic acid crystals with 1 gallon hot water. Cover the rust stains with the mixture, let it sit for five minutes, then rinse out the sink with warm water.

Use a water softener to remove dissolved iron from your water supply and prevent your porcelain sink, toilet and bathtub from rusting.

Warnings

Colored porcelain sinks can scratch easy. Before using the pumice scouring stick to remove rust stains, test the pumice scouring stick on a small spot on the sink that is not easily noticeable to ensure that you will not damage the colored coating on your porcelain sink.

Do not use bleach or cleansers that contain bleach to remove rust stains from porcelain sinks, as the chlorine chemically reacts with iron and might make rust stains worse than they already are.

About the Author

Alexis Rohlin is a professional writer for various websites. She has produced works for Red Anvil Publishing and was one of the top 10 finalists in the 2007 Midnight Hour Short Story Contest for OnceWritten.com. Rohlin holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in English from Madonna University.